Final show of final run at original Fillmore. The band were now home-playing instead at the Fill W and Winterland (and the Family Dog). But this booking was by a group that had taken over management and were billing it as the "New Old Fillmore". This is also the final Cal show of the '60s. The set list is as noted above and was presumed to be incomplete. But there were a few opening bands and the Dead played shorter shows on this run. So, it seems the only songs that do not circulate are Mama Tried, Uncle John's and High Time. The official release adds: Smokestack, Speedway, Dire Wolf, Mason's, China Cat, and the complete Rider. They played as the headline act in a single set, about 1hr45min, of which ~16-20min DNC. The date was added after the first two nights sold out. The first night of the run is the most interesting but this night has the best playing.

Most of the set isn't that stand-out, just GOGD. In Smokestack Lightning you can clearly hear Pigpen misinterpret "Who been your baby since I been gone?" as "Who bit your baby sister I been gone", an error which Bobby perpetuated years later. They use this as the launchpad for New Speedway. This was premiered the night before, with iffy results. It's no better tonight. Basically sung-to-the-tune-of Smokestack, it's more of a sketch still. Mama Tried is not on the official, either because it's missing or because the release was limited to one disc. Dire Wolf is not without charm, but Mason’s is so cool it's making my nose run. The third one ever, it's the first really good one. After a tentative start, China Cat>Rider develops nicely. It was played every night at this time. Black Peter is probably the best performance after Mason's; Jer really dug playing it at this time. The assuaging Not Fade isn't on the official release, but it had an interesting history. Other than a one-off at a private event in Feb. and then one in Sep., it hadn't been played since '66 (though we don't know how much it was really played that year). This is the reintroduction, in that it became common after this. There's lots of vamping and Bobby grasping for lyrics, but it's a chance for Pig to blow. Uncle John's & High Time DNC. On Good Lovin' there's a reel flip/cut @2:43 in the Drums solo. The official edits this, jumping to 3: 03 (on the SBD), and removing an existing 20sec. Unusually, they don't go back to Good Lovin', instead going into a decent The Other One and Cumberland. The official disc has a hidden track after, with all of Pig's "wait-a-minute" yells from Lovelight on 2/2/70 & 12/20/69, edited sequentially (adding the Mama Tried might have been better).

Overall = 2¾ stars

Highlights:
Mason's Children - the moment it first gels

SOURCES: The SBD provides Not Fade and all that circs of Good Lovin'. Dave's 6 adds 5 of the 8 missing songs plus the first 1: 45 of Rider (having all that circs except Not Fade Away and the complete Good Lovin'/Drums).

NFA is a peach!
Great Black Peter--Excellent sound thru-out.
NFA !!!
Good jams +
-- I am pretty cool with a Cumberland closer myself.

Really excellent jams; not sure why they followed other one with Cumberland. Kinda a mood wrecker.

is a must listen

This one's actually the better half of that Dave's Picks release....but they still insist on yet another one of these inane New Speedways - the harmonizing not yet figured out, Jer forgetting half the words...again, I do think Dave & co were too excited about the found reels to decide if this is actually worth releasing.

HOWEVER, the Smokestack and Other One jams here are pretty killer. Definitely worth hearing for those alone!

75 minutes, so I hear, will be on the bonus CD w/DP6......suh-weet!

Happy Solstice everyone. Since today is the supposed 'end of the world' what better way than to listen to the Dead :)

This recording finds us in the middle of a frosty Rider. A bit of a slower one than they started the year with, but nice solo, even if brief. A poignant Peter, then that monster NFA ! They just jump into it with both feet, a real hoot ! Worth a listen, but I like the keys in Other One as well. Frenetic or is it kinetic ? Either way, at times in Cumberland they sound tired :( Only 4****

'Good night folks, Merry Christmas'

Despite the missing songs, this show sounds amazing and the Not Fade Away is definitely worth a couple listens.

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(############ __"Smokin'GRATEFUL DEAD show."

Stereo Soundboard, decent mix for 1969.

01. I Know You Rider - 3:44
02. Black Peter - 9:26
03. Not Fade Away (w/Pigpen on Harmonica and back-up Vocals) - 9:20
04. Good Lovin'> - 1:51
05. Drums - 6:46
06. The Other One - 13:04
07. Cumberland Blues - 4:46

Obviously not the whole show, or even what is listed in the "description".

Excellent "Black Peter".

"NOT FADE AWAY" is a 'treasure'. Early version of NFA with maracas and Pigpen playing harmonica, singing back-up. This is a "Must Have" for collectors of 1969 GRATEFUL DEAD shows.

Not your usual tom-tom dominated NFA, Garcia takes the solo instead of the drummers and lays down some smooth licks that gives NFA a whole new (old) dimension. The song does end abruptly for some reason.

"Good Lovin'" starts, but doesn't come back, after a really nice drum solo it goes off into THE OTHER ONE, CRYPTICAL ENVELOPEMENT, THE OTHER ONE then into CUMBERLAND BLUES and then the show ends.

Not the most sought after show there is, but surely one worth having for it's "roots" value of some of the most exciting songs the GRATEFUL DEAD would ever do.

Phil says "Good Night Folks, Merry Christmas" at the end of CUMBERLAND BLUES and after some applause, you can hear a woman from the audience say "thank you" and Jerry replies "Thank You!" then the tape ends.

Eat, Drink be Merry and Listen to the GRATEFUL DEAD.

Thanks for the love from the Fillmore Auditorium.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS"

yeah, and the fact that it's missing the first six songs.

Sound is nice, just nothing magical in the performance. NFA has some real nice harp and got my attention. Worth a download, but I won't burn it to disk to listen to again any time soon.